1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to a vending system with a given number of compartments.
2. Description of the Related Art
The German Patent No. DE 39 14 686.3 (Offenlegungschrift) introduced a vending system with a given number of compartments of this type in which the merchant code of at least one merchant and a given number of account numbers and possibly even customer numbers of certain customers are stored in a memory. In order to reserve a compartment, a merchant enters an identifying merchant code into an input device, and the computing unit of the system reserves a suitable compartment after a customer number assigned to a certain customer has been entered. The merchant enters the price of the goods to be placed into the assigned compartment into the memory with the computing unit. The computing unit displays a suitable compartment for the goods on a display device and unlocks the door of this compartment. After the goods have been placed into the displayed compartment, the computing unit relocks the door.
In order to collect the goods, the customer gains access by entering his identifying account number and possibly his customer number. The computing unit displays the compartment reserved for the customer on a display device and unlocks the door of the compartment. The computing unit subsequently effects that the door of the displayed compartment is locked after the goods have been removed.
One problem of this known vending system can be seen in that compartments that are not yet occupied at the time at which the store closes cannot be utilized for vending purposes.